Distant Beloved (CD)

Decca Classics (Australia) is delighted to announce a brand new recording by internationally in demand Heldentenor Simon O'Neill – Distant Beloved – a collection of Lieder by German composers, paying tribute to his idol, the late Fritz Wunderlich.

The New Zealand Heldentenor – who is accompanied on this album by compatriot Terence Dennis – has selected Lieder by Beethoven, Schuamnn, Richard Strauss and Wagner – works which possess special meaning for the highly coveted international artist.

'The title of this album is deeply evocative for me', says O'Neill. 'Though I may be performing on the opposite side of the world, my thoughts are never far from my beautiful wife and children, and our wonderful family home in New Zealand, overlooking the endless majesty of the Pacific Ocean.'

"The best heroic tenor to emerge over the last decade" – Telegraph, UK

"Simon O'Neill is unforgettable and without doubt one of the most beautiful Siegmunds that we have heard for a very long time" – Forum Opera

"The quality of his voice is glorious, by turns dark and bright, but it was his ability to hold the big phrase with controlled, sustained power that brought tingles to the spine" – The Australian